Julie Garwood
Saving Grace (1993)
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Romance (Historical)
Plot Summary:
Sixteen-year-old English widow, Lady Johanna, has been saved by her brother, Nicholas, from marrying one of King John’s barons by marrying instead, Gabriel MacBain, a Scottish lord and warrior. While her first husband, Baron Raulf, had beaten and intimidated her, MacBain is different—tender and loving. Through many misadventures around their Highland keep, Johanna eventually learns to come to love her husband and trust herself. SPOILER: Raulf is actually alive and comes to claim Johanna back with an army while MacBain is away. In order to make sure that her clansmen are not killed, Johanna willingly rides to Raulf, who takes her to the Borderlands. MacBain eventually rescues her there, killing Baron Raulf in the process. He brings Johanna back home and they live happily ever after.
Geographical Setting: Highlands of Scotland
Time Period: 13th century
Appeal Characteristics:
This is a book that those who love Scottish romances will enjoy since it takes place in the Highlands of Scotland with its attendant accoutrements—clan tartans, clan warfare, English-Scottish rivalry, brogues, scotch, etc. However, these things are not the focus of the story; rather it is the unfolding relationship between MacBain and Johanna, which also creates a slow-paced story so that the reader can learn to fall in love, as the characters do. While the characters themselves are rather stereotypical, Garwood also gives some life to them with Johanna’s turbulent history with men and MacBain’s continual gruffness. However, Garwood tempers these two negative qualities, and the other issue she focuses on, with her light-hearted and unpretentious writing style that carries an underlying tone of humor throughout the entire novel, making it a pleasurable read. This continues even with the hot sex scenes, although even here, the focus is on Johanna and MacBain’s relationship.
Read-alikes:In keeping with the Scottish setting, one novel to consider is Amanda Scott’s Border Wedding, the first book in the Border Trilogy series. In this romantic tale, Sir William Scott is caught stealing cattle and is given a choice—hang or marry the lady Margaret. Soon the two are caught up in political affairs and family intrigue that threaten her family and their love. In addition to the setting, Scott’s novel also features similar plot elements and characterization (e.g. a strong woman character willing to stand up to her husband and other men as needed) as Garwood’s book. Another novel set in the Borderlands of Scotland is Susan King’s Laird of the Wind, which follows Isabel Scott as she recovers from her battle wounds as a hostage under the protection of the warrior, Border Hawk. The two engage in a more intimate conflict while the border wars continue. Although this book follows Garwood’s in terms of characterization and pacing, it differs in that it offers vivid descriptions of the settings and of the historical events. Two novels that take place in the same setting as Garwood’s (Highland Scotland), are Hannah Howell’s Highland Barbarian and Lyn Stone’s The Highland Wife. The former is the thirteenth book in the Highland Romance Series and follows Cecily Donaldson who is arranged, by her ambitious parents, to marry a ruthless lord but instead is kidnapped by Sir Artan Murray, who intends to marry the woman himself. It features the same writing style and humorous tone as Garwood’s Saving Grace. Stone’s novel features Robert MacBain, a deaf warrior, and Mairi MacInnes, whose marriage is fraught with difficulties and misunderstandings because of his reluctance to explain his handicap to his wife. Once again, the same humorous tone and characterization (with its relationship focus) occurs here as in Garwood’s novel, but with a not-so-perfect hero added in. Finally, a novel that has the same writing style, witty dialogue, and humorous tone, but different setting, is Jo Beverley’s Forbidden Magic in which an impoverished woman makes a wish on an old family heirloom and is rewarded with a marriage proposal from an Earl. However, there is a price to pay for the magic which she must overcome.
Red Flags: Inclusion of misogynistic characters; hot on the sensual scale
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